Torpedo launching gear



7 Dec. 28, 1937. v SQQTT-PA|NE 2,103,389

TORPEDO LAUNCHING GEAR Filed Aug. 31, less 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 28, 1937. v H. SCOTT-PAINE ,1

v 'ITORPEDO LAUNCHING GEAR Filed Aug. 31, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR MM- mm PM Patented Dec. 28 1937 N-ITREKD sTArEs PATENT floFriicfiE I 2,103,380 "TORPEDOLAUNCHING GEAR V Hubert Scott-Paine, HythefEngla'nd Application August 31,

1936, Serial No. 98,650

In Great Britain June 20, 1935 7 Claims.

like. It is particularly adapted for use on board small high speed craft, such as for exampleimotor-boats, where the ordinary method .of discharging 1 torpedoes cannot conveniently be 7 car- *ried out.

According to the present invention the improvedmethod of launching a torpedo from a high-speed vessel consists in mounting the torpedo upon a downwardly inclined slip-way, and causing asudden change in the speed of the vessel, whereby the inertia of the torpedo, operative during the acceleration of theboat, causes or -assists its launching'movement down the slipway. It will be clear that the more sudden the change inspeed, or in other words the higher :therate of acceleration of the boat, the more effective is the inertia in producing the launching movement. The slip-way may be directedforwardly or aft on the vessel and the appropriate "fecting the launching.

l-he invention also includes :apparatus for launching a torpedo from a high-speed vessel, comprising a downwardly sloping slip-way, and releasable means forretaining a torpedo thereon against any tendency to slide down until it is requiredto be launched. According to another "feature of the invention, the releasable means for 'retaining thetor-pedo inplace on the'slip-way, 'may -be adaptedtobe coupled at will to a throttle lever or equivalent device for controlling the speed of'the vessel so tha'tthe movementof the throttle =for changing the speed of the 'vessel alsoreleases the torpedo at the; appropriate moment.

According to yet another feature of the invention the slip-way aforesaid comprises an outboardextension, and separate guides which supportthe-torpedo at two points forwardand aft, said guides extending outward to respectively appropriate distances to release the "two ends of the torpedo simultaneously or in any other pre- =determinedtiming-; thus 'for example it may be desirable to arrange that the forward end'of the sd torpedo 'falls slightly :before the after end so that from its operativeoutboard position to an inboard position, where'it can bestowed when not in use.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate -+.1be launched: :Anyothendevme maybe used which this invention diagrammatically,

60 Figure 1 is an elevation in section on the line -of 'andmeans -for launching torpedoes-and the I negative or positive accelerationiis used for ef- 1 I- l ofnFigure 2, of the rearend of a motorboatlshowing the slip-wayzin its operative position and also showing the manner of stowing the .outboard I extension,

. showing'analternative arrangement in which the torpedo is reversed so that its'forward endis directed aft from the "vessel,

Figure 3 is a detail'view indicating diagrammatically the construction of the slip-Way, and Figures 4 and 5 are detailed views of the controlling gear.

iReferring to these drawings, the torpedo is indicated generally by the reference If), and in I order that it :shall move easily on its slip-way, it is provided with guide wheels at each side and spaced apart longitudinally; the forward pair .of wheels are indicatedat' II and the after pair at l2. Two pairs of rails or tracks are provided of different gauge, one pairl3 to engage the forward wheels Hand the otherpair id to engage 'the after wheels l2, and these rails are mounted on any suitablestructure, indicated generally by the reference-15. which is supported within the boat l6 and. near the stern thereof.

The slip-way-extends to an opening I'l situated above the water line in the stern of the vesselgandan additional structure I8 is provided to'align with it'and extend outboard from the vessel; 'prefer-ably this structure'is hinged at l9 :sothat it can be folded upwards and inwards to the inboard or stowed position-when not in use, and it carries rails'l3 and Hi to align with and constitute 'continuations of the corresponding rails on thestructure l5.

' The structure: I 5 with the rails l3, I I is inclined l downwardly towards the stern so that a torpedo mounted on it will tend to run down it, and a latch or detent 200i anysuitable form is provided torestrain such movement; conveniently the latch engages the wheels l2, and is held in its locking position against the action of aspring, by a detent which can be released from some remote position, for example by pulling the cord 2| so that when the cord is pulled'the latch is L released and is automatically swung into its'disengaging position'to release the torpedo.

" The cord 2| is conveniently operated from Figure 2 is a plan, partly or Figure 1, and partly the control tower or bridge of the'vessel and, as

illustrated in'Figures 4 and'5, it may be secured to a lever 21 mountedlbeside the throttle lever '28; a pin 29 onthelevenZB is adapted to be moved into the position shown in Figure'5 in which it I will engage the lever 2'l and move it when the throttle is moved. Normallythis pin 29 is reis adapted to be coupled at will to the throttle or other speed-controlling means on the vessel so as to be simultaneously moved therewith.

It is preferred that check-rails 22 should be associated with each of the rails l3, M as shown in Figure 3, to maintain the wheels I! and I2 always securely in engagement with their running rails.

As will be seen in Figure 2 the rails 14 extend outboard farther than the rails I3, the relative spacing of the ends of the rails being determined by the fore-and-aft spacing of the wheels H, l2 and the manner in which the torpedo is to be dropped; usually it is desirable that it should be downwardly inclined on entering the Water so that it can readily dive to its proper depth, and as shown in Figure 1 the position of a torpedo as it is dropping is indicated at 23; the forward wheels I I have cleared the end of their rails l3 so that the forward end of the torpedo has dropped slightly, and the after wheels l2 are just on the point of leaving the ends of their rails [4 so that the torpedo will be clear of the vessel.

The discharging of a torpedo with the apparatus so far described consists first in directing the motor-boat towards the target, and then reducing the speed of the boat to any desired extent. The actual discharging is then effected by suddenly opening the throttle and simultaneously releasing the detent 20 so that the torpedo is free on its slip-way. The forward acceleration of the boat is not transmitted to the torpedo, which therefore easily runs down the slip-way until it has dropped into the water astern of the boat. The course of the boat is then quickly altered so that it can retire from its target and leave a clear path for the torpedo, although it will frequently happen that the torpedo submerges itself to such a depth that it would clear the motor-boat which is of comparatively shallow draught.

In the lower part of Figure 2 there is illustrated a modified arrangement in which the bow of the torpedo is directed aft from the vessel carrying it; the rails 25, 26 on which it travels are, in this case, also terminated at appropriate points to let the bow fall first, and the only difference in the operation is that the torpedo is aimed by directing the stern of the motor-boat at the target.

It will be appreciated that the drawings accompanying this specification are purely diagrammatic, and the exact details of mechanical construction can be varied without departing from the present invention.

I claim:

1. A marine weapon comprising a light variable speed craft having a torpedo runway thereon relative to which a torpedo may move longitudinally of the craft and of its own length from a normal position to a launching position, a torpedo supported for free relative movement along the runway from the normal to the launching position, a latch for restraining the torpedo against relative movement along the runway, and common means for simultaneously releasing the latch and changing the speed of the craft whereby the inertia of the torpedo is utilized to move it from the normal to the launching position.

2. The combination with a water craft, of a torpedo-launching slipway thereon extending in a longitudinal direction with respect to the length of the craft, said slipway having an inboard section of a length slightly greater than the length of the torpedo to be launched, and an outboard extension above the waterline of the craft of a length suflicient to enable the torpedo to be supported in a generally horizontal position clear of the water until the innermost end of the torpedo is clear of the craft, the said extension being provided with means to support the torpedo as it moves along the runway, said means terminating in such manner that the torpedo drops through the runway when it is clear of the craft.

3. The combination with a water craft, of a torpedo-launching slipway thereon extending in a longitudinal direction with respect to the length of the craft, said slipway having an inboard section of a length slightly greater than the length of the torpedo to be launched, and an outboard extension of a length sufiicient to enable the torpedo to be supported in a generally horizontal position clear of the water until the innermost end of the torpedo is clear of the craft, said outboard extension being hinged to move from the outboard position to an inboard position.

4. The combination with a small craft, of a torpedo-launching slipway carried thereon and a torpedo, the torpedo being provided with fore and aft rollers, the slipway comprising a supporting structure having two sets of rails, one being engaged by the forward rollers of the torpedo and the other being engaged by the aft rollers of the torpedo, both sets of rails extending outboard a sufiicient distance to support the torpedo until it is moved to a position clear of the craft, the former rails being extended a shorter distance than the latter.

5. The combination with a small craft, of a torpedo-launching slipway carried thereon and a torpedo, the torpedo being provided with fore and aft rollers, the slipway comprising a supporting structure having two sets of rails, one being engaged by the forward rollers of the torpedo and the other being engaged by the aft rollers of the torpedo, both sets of rails extending outboard a suflicient distance to support the torpedo until it is moved to a position clear of the craft, the former rails being extended a shorter distance than the latter, and a latch for normally restraining the torpedo from movement along the slipway and in an inboard position relative to the craft.

6. The combination with a high speed water craft, of a downwardly sloping slipway, a torpedo normally carried at the upper end of the slipway, releasable means for restraining the torpedo against movement down the slipway, said slipway having an outboard extension with separate guides to support the torpedo fore and aft, respectively, the guides extending outboard to appropriate distances to release the two ends of the torpedo in predetermined order.

7. A marine weapon comprising a small craft designed to operate from a range of speed and capable of quickly accelerating, a torpedo-launching slipway on the craft extending in a longitudinal direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the craft, a torpedo, antifriction rolling means spaced longitudinally of the torpedo engaging the slipway to assure free rolling movement of the torpedo along the slipway, the slipway sloping downwardly and outwardly, the slipway being above the Waterline throughout its length, the slipway and antifriction means being arranged to support the torpedo in a generally horizontal position and clear of the water until it is clear of the craft, and latch means for normally holding the torpedo at the upper end of the slipway.

HUBERT SCOTT-PAINE. 

